Map holding rail construction



Nov. 8, 1960 F. E. LovEJoY MA1J HOLDING RAIL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 2l, 1958 L. y nu all @/mm f3 21 2f J2 www y n.0 .y mw M my on V0 l m im 2,958,958 Patented Nov. 8, 1960 MAP HLDING RAIL CONSTRUCTION Floyd E. Lovejoy, P.0. Box 223, Colchester, Ill.

Filed May 21, 1958, Ser. No. 736,803

8 Claims. (Cl. 35-40) This invention relates to a new and improved schoolroom map rail construction.

The principal object is to provide a widely adaptable map rail that will accommodate roll maps and flat maps or charts or drawings with equal facility, the map rail being adapted for quick and easy application to the frame of any chalk board and being furthermore so designed that two or more maps may be mounted together in abutting relationship, where additional map and chart facilities are needed and a single rail would not be adequate.

The map rail of my invention offers the following advantages:

(l) Easy application and removal of roll maps Without in any way sacrificing security of support.

(2) Roll maps may be mounted on the upper portion without interference with the insertion or removal of flat maps, charts or drawings insertable in the lower portion.

(3) The forward inclination of the upper portion of the map rail facilitates the hooking of the C-shaped back rail of a roll map over the top thereof and the inclination is such that the back rail of the roll map is supported in a truly vertical plane, the same as one other much more complicated and expensive mountings, which do not oifer the advantages of the present map rail in so far as easy removal and replacement of roll maps is concerned.

(4) The upward projection of the map rail from the top of the frame around the chalk board gives an advantageous higher mounting of the roll maps, sometimes needed for long maps.

(5) Despite the forward inclination of the upper portion of the map rail rigidity is not sacrificed, inasmuch as I provide vertically extending reinforcing ribs in the back wall of the rail at spaced intervals and these ribs extend transversely of the forward bend in the rail and terminate near the top thereof.

(6) The front wall of the folded and forwardly bent upper portion of the map rail has the lower marginal edge portion thereof bent in forwardly diverging relation to the back wall above the forward bend in the back wall whereby to define a fairly wide, generally V-shaped entrance into which the upper edge portion of a flat map, chart or drawing may be easily entered and slipped between the front and back walls of the upper portion of the rail which serve as spring pressed gripping jaws for the secure support of the map, chart or drawing in a vertical plane behind the vertical plane in which the roll map may be extended, and spaced sufficiently to avoid any conflict and possible damage of either by reason of the presence of the other.

(7) The front wall of the folded upper portion is slotted vertically at spaced intervals to facilitate spreading of as many sections as may be needed for a given map, chart or drawing and enable part of the rail to hold a thicker map while another part holds a thinner one and yet both will be held securely. This method'of holding maps, charts and drawings eliminates all necessity for thumb tacks or pins and also obviates the necessity for providing cork inserts to receive them, the cork inserts having always been objectionable, because they dry out and become useless.

(8) In the fastening to a frame of abutting ends of two map rails of the present construction I prefer to provide in overlapping relationship to the abutting ends the elongated shank portion of a hook which will find ample clearance therefor between the slotted extremities of the front walls of the two rails, half of a slot being formed in each end portion, the hook providing a convenient place to hang a map, chart, drawing or whatnot having an eye on the upper end for its suspension, in order to take care of such articles that could not otherwise be supported by the map rail.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a front View of a map rail made in accordance with my invention shown on a reduced scale;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, showing the map rail substantially full size and mounted on the frame of a chalk board and carrying a roll map on the top thereof and a flat map, chart or drawing in the lower portion;

Fig. 3 is a front view of Fig. 2, but showing the ends of two abutting map rails, in order to illustrate the hook which I provide in overlapping relation to these ends, and

Fig. 4 is a side view of the hook.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout these views.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates a map rail made in accordance with my invention, the same being provided in a length long in relation to conventional roll maps, like that shown at 6, so that the C-section back rail 7 of one of these maps may be mounted on top of the folded upper portion 8 thereof in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and be supported its full length, and if the occasion requires that two roll maps be used at one time, the C-section back rail 7 may be slid end-wise with respect to the rack 5 to make room for the second roll map, so that two roll maps can be mounted on the one map rail and both find adequate support. The mounting of roll maps in this manner is so much more convenient than where the C-section back `rails 7 had to be threaded over the top and bottom flanges on T-shaped guide rails, especially where the guide rails are up high and the instructor, who has to cope with the problem of getting the roll map on or olf, is not tall enough and may, furthermore, be too weak to handle a heavy roll map in that manner under such awkward conditions. Here it is only a matter ofsliding the upper channel-shaped edge portion 9 up the inclined front of the folded upper portion 8 of the map rail 5 far enough to hook over the upper edge 10 and the roll map is supported quite securely and is, furthermore, held in a vertical plane by reason of the engagement of the lower channel-shaped edge portion 11 against the front of the inclined upper portion 8 of the rail 5, as seen in Fig. 2. The lower portion 12 of the rnap rail 5 is fastened by means of screws 13 to the top rail 14 of the chalk board frame. The line 15 indicates the plaster wall above the chalk board frame and the line 16 indicates the chalk board.

The bend 17 longitudinally of the map rail enables the lower portion 12 to lie in a vertical plane parallel to the front of the rail 14, while the upper portion 8 is inclined forwardly at an acute angle to the vertical plane for the purposes described. To lend rigidity and strength to the map rail so that the upper porton 8 will not be apt to get bent out of shape, I provide at spaced intervals vertically extending ribs 18 in transverse relation to the line of bend 17 and reaching upwardly at least half the width of the upper portion 8, as appears in Fig. 2, the holes 19 for the screws 13 being located preferably about midway between where the ribs 18 are located. The lower edge portion 20' of the rail is bent rearwardly to contact the front of the rail 14 and give anice finish to the bottom edge of the rail and at the same time lend further strength and rigidity longitudinally thereof.

The lower marginal edge portion 21 of the front wall 22 of the folded upper portion 8 is bent forwardly, `as indicated at 23, slightly above the line of bend 17 on the lower portion 12 whereby to dene a wide V-shaped entrance between the front and back walls 22 and Z4 of the folded upper portion 8, which form gripping jaws for resiliently gripping the upper edge portion 25 of a flat map', chart or drawing 26, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. At regularly spaced intervals, preferably half-way between the ribs 18, the front wall 22 of the folded upper portion 8 of the map rail is slotted vertically, as indicated at 27, with a vfew to making the portions between these slots more easily springable and also with a view to enabling the holding by one or two lsections of the front wall 22 of a map, chart or drawing of one thickness while the neighboring sections are holding a map, chart or drawing of another thickness and yet both will be held equally securely. The slots 27 occur in alignment with the holes 19 for the screws 13.

At the ends of each rail l provide notches 27 equal in width to half the width of a slot 27 but of the same length as said slots, as clearly appears in Figs. l and 3, with a View to forming another slot, half on one rail and half on another rail 5', as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and n Fig. 3. By so notching the end portions of the map rails and providing corresponding notches 19' equivalent to half of a screw hole 19, l am enabled to use the shank portions 2S of hooks 29 as fastening means for the abutting end portion-s of two map rails, the shank portion 28 of the hook Z9 having a screw hole 3u to receive a fastening screw' 13 entered through the registering notches 19 and screwed into the rail 14. The shank portion 2S of the hook 29 is of channel-shaped section having flanges 31 extending lengthwise thereof on opposite `sides to lend strength and rigidity. These flanges can be cut away on the same angle at which the upper portion of the rail 5 extends with respect to the lower portion 12, as indicated at 32 in Fig. 4, and hence, the upper portion of the shank 28, bearing against the front of the back wall 24 of the upper portion ti of the two abutting rails will give support thereto and prevent bending of the end portions of the rails. rThe hook Z9 can be used for various purposes by the instructor, but I have .in mind many special maps, charts and drawings having cross-pieces on the top thereof and eyes for hooking the same on the wall, and the hook 29 can be received in such aneye, and thus provide a convenient mounting for things that could not otherwise be accommodated by the present map rail or rails.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages, of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover ail legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

l. A combination roll map and sheet supporting device comprising an elongated horizontal sheet metal rail member having a lower substantially vertical attaching portion, said rail member being bent forwardly along a horizontal line intermediate its upper and lower edges to define an upper portion forwardly inclined at an acute angle with respect to the lower portion, the upper portion being folded upon itself on a horizontal line to define a rounded upper longitudinal edge at the line of fold, whereon the upper edge portion of a C-section back mounting rail of a roll map is adapted to be hooked for support of the roll map in elevated forwardly spaced relation to the lower portion of saidrail, the Yfolded upper portion defining an outwardly springable clip portion'behind which the upper edge portion of a sheet to be suspended may be engaged for support thereof below and in rearwardly spaced relation to the roll map.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lower marginal edge portion of the clip is bent forwardly along a substantially horizontal line in diverging relationship to the lower portion of said rail to facilitate outward springing of the clip and entry of the upper edge portion of a sheet behind said clip.

3. A device as set forth in claim l wherein the lower marginal edge portion of the clip is bent forwardly along a substantially horizontal line in diverging relationship to the lower portion of said rail to facilitate outward springing of the clip and entry of the upper edge portion of a sheet behind said clip, and wherein the clip portion has at longitudinally spaced points substantially vertical slots provided therein extending upwardly from and opening at the lower edge of the forwardly bent lower marginal edge portion of said clip, to define clip portions between the slots that are more or less independently springable.

4. A device as set forth in claim l wherein said rail has at longitudnally spaced points thereof substantially vertically extending reinforcing ribs formed in the sheet metal thereof in transverse relationship to the first mentioned horizontal line of bend to maintain the angularity of the forwardly inclined upper portion of said rail with respect to the lower portion, said ribs projecting rearwardly with respect to the planes of the lower attaching portion and forwardly inclined upper portion.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rail has at longitudinally spaced points thereof substantially vertically extending reinforcing ribs formed in the sheet metal thereof in transverse relationship to the first mentioned horizontal line of bend to maintain the angularity of the forwardly inclined upper portion of said rail with respect to the lower portion, said ribs projecting rearwardly with respect to the planes of the lower attaching portion and forwardly inclined upper portion, and the lower marginal portion of the attaching portions being bent rearwardly to define a longitudinal reinforcing flange to maintain the straightness of said rail.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1 having in combination therewith a hook comprising an elongated vertical attaching portion abutting the front of the lower attaching portion and secured with it to a support, the back of the upper end portion of said attaching portion being forwardly inclined substantially at the same angle as the upper portion of said rail is inclined with respect to the lower portion and abutting the front Vof said rail upper portion of said rail, said hook member having a hook portion on the lower end thereof.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one end of the rail member has a notch defined in the clip portion, and the abutting end of another rail member is similarly notched and the notches are in register, the abutting rail members having in combination therewith a hook member having an elongated vertical attaching portion straddling the abutting ends of said rail members and engaging the front of the lower attaching portions thereof and fastened with said rail members to aV support, the upper end portion of the hook member being disposed in the aforesaid notches, and the lower end portion having a hook thereon.

8. A device asset forth in claim 1 wherein at least one end of the rail member has a notch defined in the clip portion, and the abutting end of another rail member is similarly notched and the notches are in register, the abutting rail members having in combination therewith a hook member having an elongated vertical attaching portion straddling the abutting ends of said rail members and engaging the vfront of the lower attaching portions thereof and fastened with said ra members to a support, the upper end portion of the hook member being disposed in the aforesaid notches, and' the lower end 5 portion having a hook thereon, the back of the upper References Cited in the le of this patent end portion of saisi attaching portion being inclined for- UNITED STATES PATENTS wardly at substantlally the same angle as the upper portions of said rail members are inclined with respect to 1,308,066 Hayes July 1 1919 ihmf tubing Pm and @Ying mmm tm- 5 ij Krs: 371, 2,244,865 Beck June 10, 1941 2,400,058 Concannon May 7, 1946 

